ACX_Logo
Art and design courses for grades 9–12 (ages 14–18)
Character Design
Character Design

This class is for anyone who loves to draw characters, regardless of skill level. Create and develop characters for video games, animated films and illustrations through fun and exciting exercises that strengthen your conceptual ability and skills. Learn how to develop a character layout sheet, a model sheet and a turnaround. This class will emphasize brainstorming, along with conceptualization of a story and ideas. Estimated cost of materials: $50 

Figure Drawing
Figure Drawing

Drawing the human figure is important training for all artists. By working with a costumed model, you will develop an understanding of form by sharpening your observation skills. In-class discussions will explore how artists from the past and present have depicted the human figure. Estimated cost of materials: $40

Concept Design Basics

Bring your characters, environments, props and story- boards to life. Explore light and shade, perspective, color theory and basic design techniques. Learn how to take 2D line drawings and process them into tones for a lifelike result. Also, explore arranging shapes, values, colors and edges in interesting and intriguing ways to create images that hold the viewer’s attention. Not only will your characters look more dimensional, but the environments and objects will also be more believable. Estimated cost of materials: $40

Image of experimental fashion
Comic Book Illustration

Learn the skills needed to develop your own five-page comic book. From the establishing shot to the splash page, this class covers character design, figure invention, page layout, story structure, basic rules of perspective and classic comic book storytelling. Familiarize yourself with the comic artist’s process, from thumbnails and roughs to a beautifully finished and inked page. Estimated cost of materials: $35

Student work from Creature Design
Creature Design

Learn the different methods used to develop believable creatures and monsters for the entertainment industry such as film, video games, TV, and animation. Working from photographic reference of animals and nature, learn how to combine the fundamentals of design, anatomy, form, storytelling, costume, and character development to create original sketches and renderings of beastly quadrupeds, bloodthirsty bipeds, and large-scale leviathans. With an introductory level of drawing and painting techniques, this is an ideal class for aspiring concept designers, illustrators, animators or students considering ArtCenter’s undergraduate Entertainment Design as a major. Estimated cost of materials: $45

Illustration

Apply your drawing and painting skills to produce a variety of projects, including album covers, ads and magazine articles. Learn the basics of color theory using acrylic paint and other media. The class also includes a survey of contemporary problem solvers and the history of illustration. Some previous study of drawing recommended. Estimated cost of materials: $70

...

Surrealist Pen and Ink

...

Comic Book Illustration

...

Illustration

...

Illustration

...

Illustration

...

Illustration

...

Comic Book Illustration

...

Creative Sketchbooks, Journals and Altered Books

...

Comic Book Illustration

...

Photography

...

Illustration

...

Collage

...

Figure Drawing

...

Creative Sketchbooks, Journals and Altered Books

...

Surrealist Pen and Ink

...

Creative Sketchbooks, Journals and Altered Books

...

Photography

...

Drawing from the Nude

...

Character Design

Concept Design Basics course teaches bringing characters and storyboards to life

Rob Sherrill (BFA 90 Illustration)

In the ACX Teens course Concept Design Basics, taught by alumnus Robert Sherrill (BFA 90 Illustration), students learn how to bring their characters, environments, props and storyboards to life.

They explore light and shade, perspective, color theory and basic design techniques, and learn how to take two-dimensional line drawings and process them into tones for a lifelike result.

“Before we begin our lessons, we do warmups to get our minds relaxed and flowing,” says Sherrill. “I believe in abstract scribbling first to communicate with lines alone the emotion and drama of a scene or character. To create a relaxing scene, we may use curved flowing lines. To communicate uneasiness, we may use pointed shapes and lines.”

Students then create a character and make a background, building a world that the character exists in, says Sherrill. Arranging shapes, values, colors and edges are explored in interesting ways to create images that hold the viewer’s attention. Pattern and texture are incorporated.

Not only will students’ characters look more dimensional, but the environments and objects they create will also be more believable.

“Using many of the fundamental ideas taught in the class, students are freed up to make expressive characters, backgrounds and props, creating a cohesive theme,” Sherrill says.

 

 
03.10

Last day to drop a class

03.13 -06.02

Registration period

04.08

Easter - Campus Closed

04.13

Scholarship deadline #1

04.15

Spring classes end

05.18

Scholarship deadline #2

06.03

Classes begin

06.03 -07.07

Drop period

06.26

Weeklong and Two-week Summer Workshops

07.01

Holiday - No classes